Chapter 2 – Approaches to (Language) Learning
Teaching Methodologies
Logan Fisher; Bibi Halima; and Keli Yerian
Preview Questions
- What are the differences between Grammar-Translation, Audiolingual, and Communicative teaching approaches?
- What are the pros and cons of these three methods and approaches?
Similarly to the first section of this chapter, this section will focus on classroom methodology. However, this time it’s more specific to actual language education and not just learning theories in general. I want you to think back to that high school language class. Put yourself in the room, see your teacher, and your classmates too. Now that we know about Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism, I want you to put a label on the type of learning you experienced in that class. It might be difficult, and it’s fine to say that it was mixed, because it most likely was. Most education is a blend of many rich elements because there is no one way to teach a language.
Some language teaching methodologies existed before people were theorizing about learning, and others have been influenced by learning theories over time. Think back to your high school classroom again. Your teacher might have asked you to mostly do grammar exercises in a workbook. They might have held up plastic fruits or pointed to colors and prompted you to say the translated words back. You might have followed scripts and talked with your classmates, maybe like “Hola, quiero comprar cien bananas por favor” (Hi, I would like to buy a hundred bananas please), although admittedly the applicability of this situation is not high. Or you might have been asked to jump in and interact with your classmates mostly through immersion in the new language until you could communicate, similar to learning your first language.
Grammar-translation Method
One very traditional way of language teaching that was not influenced by any modern learning theory is called Grammar Translation. In Grammar Translation, “The aim is for students to be able to translate with ease between two languages, usually their first or native language (L1) and the target language (L2) being learned” (Prokopchuk, 2022, Grammar Translation Method, para. 2). This looks primarily like the study of individual grammatical structures, conjugations, or vocabulary for a language, and less of the conversational aspects or application of language. While this method has largely died out in popularity among language teachers, it still is found in many language classrooms around the world. When languages are no longer spoken, this method make good sense, for example in classical language classrooms like Latin or ancient Greek.
No matter what language class you were in, your teacher likely implemented some elements of Grammar Translation. Grammar Translation methods can be extremely helpful in the explicit teaching of grammar concepts, sentence structure, or vocabulary. They rely on our abilities to see and reproduce patterns, which relates to both behaviorist and cognitivist ways of learning. However, many people agree that where the Grammar Translation method falters is its lack of immediate applicability to real-life scenarios and the over-focus on declarative knowledge. That is, conversations on the street likely won’t consist of ‘Hey, how do you conjugate the verb ser in the pluscuamperfecto?’ (the verb to be in the past perfect tense in Spanish). So, while the grammar-translation method does have many positive elements in the explicit teaching of linguistic concepts, other teaching methods focus more on real-life application and communication.
Audiolingual Method
A very different approach to language teaching that was strongly influenced by behaviorism is the Audiolingual method. Popularized in the 1950s, the Audiolingual method focuses on “the notion that learning language can be simulated inside the classroom by using prescribed dialogues and texts which are comprehensible to the learners” (Prokopchuk, 2022, Audio-Lingual Method, para. 1). Some common practice exercises used machines in language learning labs, rather than using practice with other people. These machines would allow you to listen to a sentence as spoken by a native speaker, and then record yourself speaking the same sentence. You would then listen to both and do a side-by-side comparison of your accents. The focus largely was on scripted learning and the perfection of predetermined vocabulary and a ‘native-like’ accent.
Akin to behaviorism, learning takes place through habitual repetition and praise for correct answers. Unlike Grammar Translation, this method does provide intensive listening and speaking practice to build procedural knowledge, but learners still don’t have the opportunity to improvise in real-life interactions. The constant focus on accuracy can also make learners self-conscious and afraid to experiment with communication. And while the focus on accent can help with some people’s goals, many of us would like to use language without questioning “Do I sound like that recording?”
Think Back…
Let’s think back to Chapter One, Myth 5 – ‘I need to sound like a native speaker’. Does the Audiolingual method discredit or support this myth?
Communicative approaches
Lastly, communicative approaches are the most popular among language teachers today, largely because of their focus on usability rather than perfection. Communicative approaches acknowledge that “students learn language more effectively in the classroom when communication is meaningful, purposeful, and applicable to their lives” (Prokopchuk, 2022, The Communicative Approach, para. 1).
The focus on communication helps with fluency in a language, but sometimes sacrifices grammatical accuracy if there is no parallel focus on declarative knowledge, especially with older learners. We see that communicative approaches draw on both cognitivist and constructivist approaches, but they can also include aspects of behaviorist approaches. The key difference from other teaching methods is that communicative approaches are not limited to behaviorist or cognitivist approaches.
Thought Exercise
Would you rather…
- Lose your grammatical knowledge
- Lose your vocabulary
Which impacts your ability to communicate more? Which one is most crucial?
Before we move on, watch this video about teaching methodologies. As a bonus, you can learn about different teaching approaches other than the three we have discussed so far.
With your understanding of the three main teaching approaches we have described above, see if you can recognize these styles when presented with examples. These examples may look like exercises that subscribe to one method more than another, or maybe examples of things that might be said in these classrooms. Many of these exercises overlap and can be used in a variety of classroom contexts, so our answers aren’t the only correct uses of these activities but rather the more common ones.
Teaching Methodologies Comprehension Check
Select the best answer for each question.
We hope that it is apparent that these theories and methods are not one-size-fits-all, nor should they exist independently of one another. Where the audio-lingual or grammar-translation methods falter, communicative approaches can supplement, and vice-versa. The same can be said for all the theories and methods we talked about in this chapter. Diversity is best when learning a language; diversity in people, diversity in exercises and methods, and diversity in input. We all grew up learning our first language(s) through a variety of different methods of exposure, whether that be our parents talking to us, watching TV, listening to bedtime stories, and eventually studying grammar in school.
So, this begs the question: Why should we treat our second language any differently?
References
Prokopchuk, B. (2022). Language learning in K-12 schools: theories, methodologies, and best practices. University of Saskatchewan. https://openpress.usask.ca/languagelearningk12/
A group or set of methods used for the purpose of creating an effective learning environment in the classroom
A patterned variation of pronunciation in a language. Usually tied to a specific region, community, or individual
The ability to speak in a language spontaneously without unnecessary pauses, even if some errors might occur
How correct one's language use is according to the specific language ideology held by interlocutors
